We were hoping to bring you video of this event, but we’ve experienced some technical difficulties with our camera—if we can get it working to put the footage together in the next week or so, we’ll post the video as a separate story, so make sure you check back!

Last Saturday was a great day for Long Beach sports, as Wilson High inducted another class of Hall of Famers into its already legendary ranks.  Wilson, a historic high school with one of the region’s more prestigious athletic traditions—the school has sent more athletes to the Olympics than any other high school in the nation—honored its athletes at the Long Beach Convention Center, where athletes and donors dined in the Seaside Room.  The event was held at the Convention Center for the first time because the demand for tickets was so high.  Prior to the event, Wilson already had 187 members in their Hall—perhaps those not familiar with the Bruin tradition might question whether one school could really have produced so many quality athletes; if so, check out the most recent inductees and see for yourself!

The first athlete inducted was Bobby Grich, who already has some HOF experience under his belt, since he was the first player inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame.  A pro baseball player for 16 years, Grich was also a talented football player, throwing five touchdowns in one game for Wilson as quarterback in 1966.  While still in high school, his coach (the legendary Skip Rowland, who introduced Grich), told him something that remained with him throughout this entire career: “Sports are a mental exercise expressed physically.”  In addition to his quick thinking ability, Grich credited Long Beach as, “A direct reason for why I was a success.”

Grich and Rowland

Erica Sumi-Kan was a long-distance runner on the track and cross country teams at Wilson.  While running track, she would run the two-mile event at a meet and then, after just a few minutes of rest, would anchor the 4×400.  “At Wilson, I learned the benefits of hard work and dedication,” said Sumi-Kan, who ran for UCLA after graduating.

Another track and field star, Patrick Scott also played football, and was a 1,000-yard running back during a season when the Bruins only played 9 games.  His abilities as a long jumper were legendary, and the crowd appreciated the story of Hall breaking Wilson’s long jump record while he was just a sophomore—he broke it by over two feet.  More than the record, the crowd appreciated that Scott had lived near Poly and decided to go to Wilson, and his exhortation to the current athletes in attendance to keep their grades up, and take advantage of every academic opportunity.

After an intermission, the father-son team of Tom Hermstad (junior and senior) were honored.  Both were part of Wilson’s strong water polo tradition—Tom junior went on to win a national championship with Berkeley, and Tom senior starred at Long Beach State after graduating Wilson, and then coached for three decades.  “The best thing about this,” he said jokingly to his son, “Is they spelled our names right.”

The Hermstads

Perhaps owning the most impressive statistics of the night, Neil Arnold was a basketball player in the mid-70s.  In his senior year at Wilson, he averaged 29.9 points/game, including a performance where he was 10/10 from the field, and 19/20 from the free throw line.  Arnold was presented with a signed letter from John Wooden that read, “I wish I’d come out of retirement to coach you at UCLA”—Arnold, who was clearly moved by the letter, attended USC instead.

Jessica Hardy is likely the most well-known name on the list, and she was one of the most memorable speakers at the event.  After her long list of accomplishments was read, including all of the national high school records she set, her incredible CIF performances, etc, an emotional Hardy took the podium.  “This is really an honor,” she said.  “Especially to be inducted so soon after graduating.  Swimming for me was always so solitary—I was used to being by myself.  Wilson was the first time I had a team.”  Even with all the titles she owns, Hardy said that winning the team CIF title her senior year was her most fulfilling achievement.

A boxer through and through, Jeremy Williams kept the crowd on its toes with some great jokes about his career, which has allowed him to travel all over the world.  It was close to home, in the Pyramid, that he set the state record for fastest knockout however, with ten seconds.  “I don’t live here anymore,” he said, “But God I miss it.”

The final inductee was Dan Gooch, a man who never played a single varsity sport for the Bruins.  But since graduating, Gooch has been responsible for raising over half a million dollar for the school’s athletic teams, including founding the Goose Invitational, the biggest charity golf event in the city.  He talked about his upbringing, and the kindness his family benefited from, and how that kindness influenced him to give back.  He acknowledged all of the people who’d helped him, and all of the people who continue to help the school and the city.  “Most of you don’t get the recognition that all of you deserve.”

Gooch and Rowland

Thanks to events like Wilson’s Hall of Fame, it’s nice to see that many Long Beach stars, both current and past, are getting that recognition.